Public meeting to be held into future of Lancaster's former Skerton High School

Councillors and residents held a vigil outside the school in August, five years after its closure, as part of a campaign for the site to be used again for education, health or community purposes.

A second public meeting is now to be held on Tuesday February 18 at Fathers House in Owen Road from 6.30pm.

County Coun Philppa Williamson, cabinet member for children, young people and schools, is expected to attend the meeting with news of the council's plans for the site.

City councillors in Skerton say the school was held in high regard by the local community for 80 years, but that since its closure in 2014, it has been left to fall into disrepair.

Lancashire County Council had previously said there were no plans to re-open the site, which is secured and monitored regularly.

But Skerton councillors Robert Redfern, Phil Black, Mandy King and Jean Parr are now hopeful that next week's meeting will bring good news and the site being brought back into use.

"The feeling in the community is that it should come back into some sort of community use," said Coun King. "People recognise that there's not many community venues in the area and it's desperately needed."

Coun Black said: "There's a lot of enthusiasm for different ideas for the site, such as a community space and gardens, health provision, educational provision or space for community organisations.

"The community is very keen to see something happen again on the site."

Coun Parr added: "It's a very much-loved building and people are keen to see the original facade kept."

Coun Black said it had been made "abundantly clear" that the site would not bwe use for housing.

"There's no intention of giving it over to residential use," she said.

You can follow live updates of the meeting on Twitter @labourskerton